By David DiSomma
The Vancouver Winter Olympics get underway next Saturday, with New Zealand fielding a team of 16 - its biggest yet for a Winter Olympics.
There is one thing the New Zealand wants to get straight right from the start –they are there to compete.
"To be an Olympian you have to be really good," says Peter Wardell, chef de mission. "We're not going to only to get the t-shirt… We have only one Games medal and it's pretty lonely. Hopefully we might get lucky and get another one."
Annelise Coberger's silver in the slalom in 1992 was the Southern Hemispehere's first ever Winter Olympics medal. Since then New Zealand hasn't even threatened the podium, prompting some to be more cautious, wary of lifting the public's expectations.
"Competing against the powerhouses of the North Americas and Europe, we should be proud of our athletes if they make top 10," says Ashley Light, high performance manager.
New Zealand's most experienced Winter Olympian is 34-year-old Juliane Bray. She finished 16th in the halfpipe at Torino four years ago, and believes she can improve greatly this time round.
"Going into Vancouver I am thinking about the medals. I need to build on where I am now. I think I'm in the right place."
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